Mexican photographer wins Sony World Photography Awards 2026 top prize

A Mexican visual artist celebrating the lives of Indigenous women advocates has been named Photographer of the Year at the 2026 Sony World Photography Awards, one of the most prominent international photography competitions in the world.

Citlali Fabián received the award at a gala ceremony held in London on 17 April 2026. She wins US$25,000, a range of Sony Digital Imaging equipment, and the opportunity to present a solo showcase at the Sony World Photography Awards 2027 exhibition.

Now in their 19th edition, the awards drew over 430,000 image submissions from more than 200 countries and territories. The competition spans Professional, Open, Student, and Youth categories, with winners selected by panels of industry judges.

Bilha, Stories of my Sisters

Fabián is from the Yalalteca Indigenous community in Mexico and is currently based in London. Her winning series, Bilha, Stories of my Sisters, blends carefully crafted photographic portraits with digital illustrations to document the stories of women from Indigenous communities across the state of Oaxaca.

The subjects are advocates whose work spans law, linguistics, the arts, and ecology. The project was conceived as a source of positive role models for young girls and was developed through close, sustained collaboration with the women depicted.

Digital drawings layered onto the portraits incorporate symbols and motifs drawn from each subject's personal history and cultural heritage, celebrating both their achievements and their lived experiences.

Monica Allende, chair of the 2026 Professional jury, said Fabián's work addressed urgent questions of visibility and representation. She noted that in many Indigenous cultures, stories are shaped collectively through conversation and lived experience rather than by a single voice, and that Fabián had brought that spirit into her photographic practice.

"Her subjects are not simply photographed — they are active participants in shaping how their stories are told," Allende said. "The artist highlights the presence, strength, and achievements of women who have often been overlooked, giving them the visibility and recognition they have long deserved."

Fabián was selected from the ten Professional competition category winners announced on the night, each of whom was judged to display an original approach to storytelling and outstanding technical ability.

Open, Student and Youth winners

Australian photographer Elle Leontiev was named Open Photographer of the Year for The Barefoot Volcanologist, a portrait of self-taught volcano scientist Phillip Yamah on the island of Tanna, Vanuatu. She receives a US$5,000 prize.

(© Elle Leontiev, Australia, Open Photographer of the Year, Open Competition, Portraiture)

Jubair Ahmed Arnob of Bangladesh won the Student Photographer of the Year award for The Place Where I Used To Play, a series documenting urban change in Dhaka's Green Model Town. Philip Kangas, a 16-year-old photographer from Sweden, took the Youth award for Saving History from the Flames, an image of firefighters rescuing an artwork from a fire at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm.

(© Jubair Ahmed Arnob, Bangladesh, Student Photographer of the Year, Student Competition)

Outstanding Contribution to Photography

American photographer Joel Meyerowitz received the Outstanding Contribution to Photography 2026 honour. His practice spans six decades of street and documentary photography. A selection of his works, including pieces from his series Europa (1966–1967) and two new artist videos, are on display at the awards exhibition at Somerset House.

The Sony World Photography Awards 2026 exhibition is open at Somerset House, London, from 17 April to 4 May 2026, presenting over 300 prints and hundreds of images in digital displays alongside a special presentation by Meyerowitz.

PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY WINNERS

The winning series in the 2026 Professional competition have been selected by a panel of expert judges. Each of the winning photographers displays an original approach to storytelling and outstanding technical ability.

All of the category winners receive Sony Digital Imaging equipment, and were invited to participate in Insights, a day of specialised sessions with industry experts in London. To learn more about this year’s Professional winners and finalists, please visit worldphoto.org.

This year’s winners are: 

ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

WINNER: Joy Saha (Bangladesh) for Homes of Haor

Finalists: 2nd place André Tezza (Brazil); 3rd place Chen Liang (China Mainland)

CREATIVE

WINNER: Citlali Fabián (Mexico) for Bilha, Stories of My Sisters

Finalists: 2nd place Pablo Ramos (Mexico); 3rd place Ben Brooks (United Kingdom)

DOCUMENTARY PROJECTS

WINNER: Santiago Mesa (Colombia) for Under the Shadow of Coca

Finalists: 2nd place Colin Delfosse (Belgium); 3rd place Alexandre Bagdassarian (France)

ENVIRONMENT

WINNER: Isadora Romero (Ecuador) for Notes on How to Build a Forest

Finalists: 2nd place Matteo Trevisan (Italy); 3rd place Shane Hynan (Ireland)

LANDSCAPE

WINNER: Dafna Talmor (United Kingdom) for Constructed Landscapes

Finalists: 2nd place Andreas Secci (Germany), 3rd place Michael Blann (United Kingdom)

PERSPECTIVES

WINNER: Seungho Kim (Republic of Korea) for Sunny Side Up: A Portrait of the Most Average K-Parenting Today

Finalists: 2nd place Hayate Kurisu (Japan); 3rd place Fredrik Lerneryd (Sweden)

PORTRAITURE

WINNER: Jean-Marc Caimi & Valentina Piccinni (Italy) for The Faithful

Finalists: 2nd place Marisa Reichert (Germany); 3rd place Federico Borella (Italy)

SPORT

WINNER: Todd Antony (New Zealand) for Buzkashi

Finalists: 2nd place Morgan Otagburuagu (Nigeria); 3rd place Rob Van Thienen (Belgium)

STILL LIFE

WINNER: Vilma Taubo (Norway) for Talking Without Speaking

Finalists: 2nd place Gargi Sharma (India); 3rd place Daniele Vita (Italy)

WILDLIFE & NATURE

WINNER: Will Burrard-Lucas (United Kingdom) for Crossing Point

Finalists: 2nd place Anita Pouchard Serra (Argentina); 3rd place Wolfgang Duerr (Germany)